Blog · October 14, 2026 · Minnesota
The Clearwater County Flood Zone Map: a Minnesota guide
FEMA's free flood maps and the Clearwater County parcel viewer, used together for property near Leonard.
Main page: Clearwater County, MN GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Clearwater County facts and neighboring maps).
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Land along Red Lake River and the flats outside Clearbrook are where a Clearwater County flood zone map lookup matters most. FEMA's free Flood Map Service Center and the Clearwater County parcel viewer answer it together.
The sections below go from the FEMA search to the Clearwater County parcel record, then cover insurance, permits and map changes near Bagley.
Where to see the official Clearwater County flood zone map
The authoritative source for a Clearwater County flood zone map is FEMA, so begin at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Search returns the effective FIRM panel for the spot in Clearwater County, plus any pending changes FEMA has posted. On acreage outside Bagley, the National Flood Hazard Layer viewer is easier to use and reports the zone wherever you click near Bagley. Switch to the Clearwater County ArcGIS parcel map and find the same parcel near Leonard. Laying the county parcel outline beside the FEMA shading shows whether a homesite near Leonard sits above or inside the zone.
Opening the Clearwater County parcel viewer
Clearwater County publishes its parcels on the Clearwater County ArcGIS parcel map, which runs on an Esri ArcGIS web map, free to use for a lot in Bagley or a parcel near Gonvick. Click any Clearwater County parcel near Bagley to open its record: owner, parcel ID and assessed acreage are most frequently listed. Bookmark our Clearwater County page too; it tracks the official Minnesota link if it moves and lists the maps around Bagley.
Deeds and plats behind the Clearwater County map
Deeds and plats behind the Clearwater County map are kept by the county's recording office; the official Clearwater County website names which office that is. A deed book and page or instrument number on the county record is the quickest route to request the document for a lot in Bagley.
Getting oriented in Clearwater County, MN
Bagley is the county seat, and Clearbrook, Gonvick, Leonard, and Shevlin are among the other towns on the county map. Unincorporated communities in Clearwater County, including Ebro, Elbow Lake, and Rice Lake, display up as small groups of parcels along the roads. Roughly 999 square miles of land and about 8,644 residents (2023 estimate) make up Clearwater County. Outside Gonvick, most of the county map is farm, ranch or timber ground with large, irregular tracts.
Neighboring maps around Clearwater County
Near the edge of the county, check the next map over: Becker County, Beltrami County, Hubbard County, Mahnomen County, and Pennington County all border it. Every map bordering Clearwater County is listed on our Minnesota directory.
High, moderate and minimal risk in Clearwater County
For a lot in Bagley, the label matters more than the color: A and V zones are Special Flood Hazard Areas, defined by a 1-percent annual chance of being flooded. A surveyor working near Bagley uses the base flood elevation printed for AE zones; unnumbered A zones don't have one. Shaded Zone X around Bagley sits in the moderate band between the 100-year and 500-year floods. Clear, unshaded X near Bagley is outside the 500-year floodplain.
Waterfront parcels near Leonard
The Clearwater County landscape includes Red Lake River and Red River of the North, and that's where flood questions cluster. Lines on those Clearwater County parcels frequently follow the water, so part of the tract can be mapped as high risk. A low spot on a Clearwater County tract outside any mapped zone, which is why it's worth walking the ground after a heavy rain.
When the map affects a deal
The zone shows up again when a loan on a house near Leonard is underwritten. When a county home sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area and secures a loan from a federally regulated or insured lender, flood insurance is mandatory; that applies where the local government around Leonard is in the National Flood Insurance Program. In Zone X near Bagley, coverage is optional; pricing a policy for land near Leonard is still worth a call. When a Clearwater County homesite is on a rise inside a mapped zone, the landowner can ask FEMA for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA), supported by elevation data from a professional surveyor. Building or filling inside a mapped zone near Bagley has to meet local floodplain rules, and the building office serving Leonard explains the steps.
Clearwater County, MN: common questions
How do I challenge a flood zone for a lot in Leonard?
An owner near Gonvick can request a Letter of Map Amendment from FEMA with elevation data, most frequently from a professional surveyor.
What does 100-year flood mean for Clearwater County land?
No, ground around Leonard mapped that way carries a 1-in-100 chance in any single year, and two floods in one decade near Leonard are possible.
Does the Clearwater County parcel map display flood zones?
Look for a flood or floodplain layer in the Clearwater County viewer, then verify the zone with FEMA.
Who prepares an elevation certificate for a house in Leonard?
Hire a professional surveyor or engineer who works in Clearwater County; ask the local floodplain office first in case one exists.
What is a base flood elevation for a Clearwater County property?
Near Gonvick, the base flood elevation marks how high the 100-year flood is expected to rise; elevation certificates in Clearwater County are measured against it.
Open the official Clearwater County, MN parcel map Clearwater County in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.